Your Inner Critic: How to Turn It Into an Ally

We all have that voice inside—you know the one.

It tells you, You’re not doing enough, or You’ll never get it right. It shows up when you’re already feeling vulnerable, and instead of support, it offers criticism.

But here’s something you might not know: your inner critic isn’t trying to hurt you. It’s trying to protect you. It’s just using a terrible strategy.

The inner critic’s goal is to keep you safe, but it often confuses safety with staying small. It wants you to avoid failure, rejection, and discomfort—but in doing so, it keeps you from growth.

Here’s how to shift the relationship:

1. Name it. Give your inner critic a name or a persona. It’s easier to see it as separate from you.

2. Thank it. This sounds strange, but it works. Say, Thank you for trying to keep me safe, but I’ve got this.

3. Redirect it. Instead of letting it judge you, recruit it to problem-solve. Ask, What’s the smallest step I can take right now?

Over time, your critic can become your ally. Its voice will shift from you can’t do this to here’s how we can do this.

You don’t have to get rid of your inner critic. You just have to retrain it.